The invention relates generally to signal distribution. More particularly, the invention relates to the distribution of multimedia signals utilizing a network with a primary signal distribution path.
The progress of technology has resulted in an increase in the availability of telecommunication and automation services in homes. For example, homes are now equipped for interactive entertainment systems, personal communications networks, security systems, and environmental management systems.
One problem with the increase of the availability of such services is the lack of integrated management and distribution of the services throughout the home. For example, telephone service is generally provided by a local telephone company via telephone lines entering the house and telephone wires supplying telephone signals throughout the house via telephone jacks. Cable television (CATV) is provided by the CATV company via coaxial cable entering the house and being distributed to cable television outlets via a network of coaxial cable in the house. Digital broadcast systems (DBS) supply digital television programming via a satellite antenna located outside the home and a decoder in the home for decoding the desired signals for viewing. In addition to these services, which are provided by service providers, there are many other multimedia devices in a home (e.g. video cassette recorders (VCR), digital video disks (DVD), local video security/monitoring cameras, etc.), all of which are distributed locally via various wires in the home.
The management of these different services and networks is difficult, and it is often difficult and costly for a homeowner to reconfigure the services being provided to the various rooms in the house.
A current solution to this problem is the HomeStar(copyright) home wiring system available from Lucent Technologies, Inc. The HomeStar system is based on a star wiring configuration in which a central service center provides a central distribution point for all the signals that travel through the house. Distribution cables carry the signals from the service center to multi-access points (outlets) throughout the house. These outlets connect telephones, TVs, VCRs, and computers to the wiring system. The distribution cables consist of unshielded twisted pair (UTP) for the distribution of telephone and data signals, and coax cable for the distribution of video services.
Although the HomeStar system provides a satisfactory solution to the signal distribution problem, there are certain drawbacks. Since the signals are distributed using both UTP and coax, the cables which must be run through the house are of a size which makes a retrofit to the HomeStar system difficult, particularly for homes with neither basement nor attic access. Since many existing homes have older wiring schemes which are not of a star design (i.e. central distribution point), a retrofit solution is required for these homes. Further, since HomeStar uses UTP for data and telephone, and coax for video, the configuration of the services within each room of the house need to be preconfigured. For example, the homeowner may want a television (coax) outlet on the north wall of a room and a telephone (UTP) outlet on the south side of the room. If the homeowner wants to change this configuration at a later time, the outlets must be switched. Alternatively, both sides of the room can be provided with both types of outlets at the outset. This, however, can become expensive.
One solution to the problem is described in the copending commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/072,219, filed May 4, 1998, entitled xe2x80x9cSignal Management and Distribution Systemxe2x80x9d, which describes a system for distributing multimedia signals throughout a home. One benefit of the system described therein is that multimedia signals can be distributed throughout the home using wires having a lower bandwidth than was previously possible. The smaller size of such wires allows for a simpler and less expensive retrofit to a star wiring architecture in the home.
However, in some existing homes, even a retrofit using the techniques described in the above referenced patent application would be difficult or impossible. This would be especially true in homes without attics, basements, and/or crawl spaces.
Thus, there is a need for an improved signal distribution technique which utilizes existing home wiring infrastructure while providing improved telecommunication, multimedia, and automation services throughout the home.
The present invention is a communication network which is made up of a primary signal distribution path with terminal adapters connected at the endpoints of the path such that the signals on the primary signal distribution path are available to all terminal adapters. A television signal distribution module distributes television signals over the primary signal distribution path in a first frequency band and telephone signals are distributed over the primary signal distribution path in a second frequency band. In an advantageous embodiment, the first frequency band carries television signals in the range of 54 MHz to 88 MHz and the second frequency band carries telephone signals in the range of 0 kHz to 3 kHz.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the terminal adapters have a first signal path allowing bidirectional communication of signals in the first frequency band and a second signal path allowing bidirectional communication of signals in the second frequency band. Thus, each terminal adapter may be connected to end user devices which receive signals from the primary signal distribution path. Further, each terminal adapter may be connected to a device which is a source of signals to be distributed via the primary signal distribution path.
Further, the primary distribution path may also distribute data signals in a third frequency band, which is advantageously in the range of 3 kHz to 54 MHz. In this embodiment, the terminal adapters will have a third signal path allowing bidirectional communication of signals in the third frequency band. This third frequency band may be further split to support multiple applications. Such a further split requires additional signal paths in the terminal adapters to separate out the signals in the different frequency bands.
In an advantageous embodiment, the television signals are distributed via a television signal distribution module which receives cable television signals modulated on a set of channels, for example channels 2-75. The television signal distribution module comprises tuner/converters which receive these channels, select the channel desired by a user, and convert the signals on the selected channel to at least one predetermined channel. The signal is then transmitted over the primary signal distribution path using the at least one predetermined channel.
In accordance with one benefit of the present invention, the total bandwidth of the primary signal distribution path can be substantially lower than the total bandwidth of the communication links providing the sources of signals entering the network. As such, the primary signal distribution path may be implemented utilizing a single pair of wires.
These and other advantages of the invention will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.